An exhale of tepid mist suffused the winter wonderland. All was accented by the sparkle of white as if powdered clouds descending from on high. Numbed fingers pressed against a fallen trunk as I peeked over the top, spotting my quarry. A doe grazed at the centre of a small glade, slender legs prodding at frosted earth.
‘It must be a straggler that left its herd in search of food.’
With much care, I removed the bow slung about my torso, paying close attention to the perk of its ears. If the animal sensed anything was awry, those would be the first tell, or so trainer Galti said. I knocked an arrow, stifling the slight quiver that threatened to derail my aim as my breathing slowed to a trickle. All creatures had an innate, almost supernatural propensity that warned of their impending peril, a sixth sense if you will.
The roe deer was donned in a coat of seasonal grey, which made it quite hard to differentiate from the surroundings if one wasn’t attentive. That, added to its diminutive size, made for quite a challenging hunt, but one that I was eager to pursue. It stoked a hunger that pushed me to come this far, beyond the boundary set by trainer Galti. The bowstring was pulled taut, creaking with potential, eager for release. Time slowed to a crawl as I released my grip, and the arrow shot forth, straight and pure
An anguished wail resounded over the area when it struck true, treetops ceding to the bluster of a flock startled to flight.
I vaulted over the log and ran in the footsteps of the wounded animal, snow crunching beneath my heels. The contrast of red against white made it a simple endeavour to track, though not one without challenge. Other than braving the elements, I had to keep an eye out for other creatures looking for an easy meal. Nothing rang the dinner bell louder than an animal’s wounded cries, and the last thing I wanted was for something to get to it before I did, rendering a day’s worth of effort mute. The hardy terrain sapped away my stamina, but the same could be said for the doe going by the shortening of its tracks and burgeoning bloodstains.
I was midway up a rocky outcrop when a spine-blistering scream tore across the slumbering wood. It was a sound unlike anything I had ever heard or thought could be made, for that matter.
The hair on my neck stood upright, and an incontrollable shiver manifested itself. I fell to my knees, a mixture of fear and exhaustion imprisoning me. My breaths came out as shallow gasps, an intangible tendril burrowing deep inside my mind, driving home one single immutable fact. Whatever made that sound was right on the other side of the hill, and I needed to leave, or—I shuddered, refusing to even entertain the thought. My motor functions revived under the threat of doom, crawling in reverse, thankful that for once the snowfall worked in my favour, muffling my movements.
It was only after the feeling of dread had receded to the periphery that I could stand on two feet, though they had more in common with a soggy biscuit than anything else. In that manner, I stumbled back the way I came, praying that thing took no notice and didn’t follow.
Evergreen conifers whose boughs drooped with snow gave way to the barren glade and back again as I followed a rise of smoke that poked through the canopy. I was awash with relief at the sight of a brooding firepit smouldering amid a middling camp, knotted tensions unravelling like a ball of yarn. The warmth of the flame brought a tear to my eye, and I crumpled beside in a daze, bitter that the hunt concluded as it did. I was brought back to the present by the rattlings of trainer Galti who was not enthused by the lack of game.
“Another failed hunt, eh lad. Seems there are things even you can’t pick up with ease.”
His sarcasm didn’t go unheeded, and I felt the need to correct his misunderstanding. “Actually, I had something. Tracked it all the way past Pawsnap Clearing,” I boasted, ignoring trainer Galti’s expression squeeze. “It turned out to be a lone roe deer, hit her right below the shoulder too. Perfect shot.”
“Didn’t anyone tell ya it’s unbecoming to boast without proof, but more importantly, didn’t I say not to go beyond the glade.” Trainer Galti was staring at me with a deep frown. I could count on some sort of punishment tomorrow. He always managed to come up with the most absurd ones.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have gone that far,” I swallowed, continuing, “There was… something… out there, snatched my doe right from under me. Its roar horrified me so I dared not uncover its identity and ran back as fast as my legs would allow me.”
He gave me a scrutinising look, and I shrunk back into my shell. “Not many things moving about in this region that could get ya this bad. Are you sure you’re not trying to fool me? Or has that head of yours run wild again, crafting fantastical tales about moving boxes of metal, spears of glass that scratched the sky and the like?”
My nails dug into my shoulders as the encounter replayed in my mind. “I am telling the truth. Whatever I encountered out there was wrong. That’s the best way I can describe it.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Whereabouts did’ya come upon this mythical beast?”
“The rocky outcrop past Pawsnap to the southeast. Can we drop the topic now? I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Trainer Galti grunted, scratching his scraggly beard. I refocused on the flames, watching them jump and dance along the length of the ashen firewood. An object landed beside me, making a plop in the snow. I turned to the disturbance to see a crude short axe, bereft of all markings and identity and looked at the offender with a questioning frown. “Get up. I will have none of this womanly sulking.”
“Why?” I had a bad feeling about where this was going.
“No questions, just do as I say,” he said.
Rather reluctantly, I complied, noting the sword that was now strapped to trainer Galti’s waist. ‘Oh, Great Guardian, please don’t tell me this is what I think it is.’
“Take up your weapon.” I didn’t do it. No way was I going back to that place, much less confronting that thing. “Take. Up. Your. Weapon,” he repeated, a palpable solemnity seasoning his voice.
“Why?” I questioned for the second time with a slight tremble.
“Cause the only way to overcome fear is by meeting it head-on,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Pick up your axe and bring what you must. We won’t return until you seek out fear and slay it.” He said no more, waiting for me to get moving. Downtrodden by the decision, I did as I was told, knowing there was no chance I could persuade him otherwise. Not when he had that look. It didn’t take long to gather all the items I wanted into a small sack—a canteen of water, some dried jerky, and a few firestones.
‘The lighter the load, the faster I can run.’
He motioned with a hand and stomped away while I followed close behind. And so we were off, venturing deeper and deeper into the unknown on a quest to slay the root of all life.
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Our footfalls and the whistles of the occasional breeze were all that managed to keep my thoughts from running amok. Each time I took a step forward, it was as if a new weight was placed on my shoulders, and when we got to the clearing, it finally became too heavy to bear. I clutched at the hem of my cloak, trying to find some sort of comfort or warmth while my eyes took in the patchwork design of snow and dirt littering the forest floor. Trainer Galti’s boots entered the corners of my vision, and I felt his hand on my shoulder.
“When one is exposed to fear in its true form for the first time, it is much like being tasked with moving a mountain, impossible. In the face of such all-consuming disparity, what can ya do other than admit defeat? With these thoughts in mind, we make peace with the mountains that stand in our way until we are left with no choice but to go against them or perish. And do you know what I discovered?” I shook my head, not knowing enough to look at my mentor.
“They were merely an illusion. The mountains were a manifestation of our own making, and when that idea is questioned, all authority they hold over you will crumble before your very eyes.”
He paused. “My mountain was no more, yet it was too little too late, and I’ve had to live with the consequences ever since. You don’t have to make the same mistakes I did, and if it were solely up to me, you wouldn’t, but this is your life, not mine. So, I ask you, my pupil, Sǫlmundr Ljós Illugason, will you bend the knee to the mountain, to fear, or rebel and carve a path through its beating heart?”
The silence was deafening while I rummaged through the corners of my mind in search of an answer. Do I take the easy way out and wait for another opportunity when I am stronger and better prepared or strike now while the iron is hot and malleable. My vision gradually rose till I met the blue eyes of trainer Galti that housed a myriad of emotions.
“If peace is insufficient, then let there be war. What can fear do to the boy shunned by light? To this world of darkness, I will not remain complicit. For the desire in me, let mountains be kindling.”
Trainer Galti sighed, levelling me a blank stare. “Ya know, sometimes I am in two minds of clobbering that knowledge tutor of yours. Well, can’t argue that a good skáld holds power that, at times, can overshadow a warrior’s. Come on then, we gotta keep moving to stay warm.”
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The sight of disjointed boulders that comprised the rocky outcrop formed a ball in my throat, cold sweat biting my skin. The wooden handle on my axe felt rough in my hands as I swivelled in all directions in case something snuck up from behind. On the other end of the spectrum, trainer Galti seemed to be on a leisurely stroll through the woods, bereft of even an iota of caution.
‘Did he not listen to me when I said this was no normal beast!’
“Here?” He spoke all of a sudden, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.
“Yes,” I whispered, peering between wrinkled trunks lashed in a layer of frost.
He began climbing, me following at a healthy distance, of course. I was ready to fight if need be, but nobody said I had to be careless about it. Trainer Galti crested the hill in the shadow of a large squarish boulder while I held back and awaited the outcome. My anxiety grew as time passed, silence its faithful companion when a holler told me it was safe at last. With the immediate threat nowhere to be found, it was easier to proceed forward, something I found quite illuminating. Nothing around me had changed, yet mere words had abated my fears to a certain extent.
‘I sort of understood what trainer Galti means now.’
He was squatted over something, fur coat draped over his shoulders, giving off the impression of a beast gorging on its kill. It was a scene of carnage, snow and stone painted the darkest red, entrails and limbs scattered about. I gagged, using the boulder for support, the acrid odour making it all the more difficult to keep my stomach down. I managed to push out a few words in spite of the revelation affecting me all the wrong ways. “What di-did this?”
“Listen to my next words very carefully,” trainer Galti said, and I knew right then something was horribly wrong. “We are in grave danger. They’ve never come this far into the forests of Eiviblóm in my lifetime, so I haven’t come prepared. If we are to get out alive, you must follow my instructions perfectly, do you understand.” He turned back in search of a response, and as I opened my mouth to speak, that same mind-breaking scream echoed from within the forest.
“Walking straight into an ambush set by these bastards. I must be getting too old for this,” trainer Galti spat, his sword ringing as it was unsheathed.
“W-Who are they?”
“The draugar boy, the draugar.”